uber

Ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft are facing the prospect of tighter regulation in California this year. At a hearing today, the companies got an earful from cab drivers and a state Senator. Ben Bradford reports from Sacramento.

The rules governing ride-hailing services are new, and limited, compared to the many local regulations that govern taxi companies and which vary from city to city. Marco Soto of the Taxicab Paratransit Association of California said that’s more than unfair.

Ride-sharing companies and the taxi industry are locked in battles throughout California – on the streets, in the state Legislature, and in regulatory agencies. As Ben Adler reports from Sacramento, neither side is happy with the status quo.

Photo used under Creative Commons from Andy Patterson / Modern Relics / http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernrelics/4461010654/

The state of California is putting its stamp of approval on high-tech ride sharing networks. The state Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously Thursday to authorize the increasingly popular peer-to-peer networks, but with some very specific requirements. Max Pringle reports from Sacramento.

More and more people needing rides these days are clicking smart phone apps to arrange them with local networks. John Zimmer, co-founder of San Francisco-based Lyft, says the networks will now have state endorsed vehicles and drivers.